Natural Cordage Paiute Deadfall

Deadfall traps have been used all over the world for thousands of years. The idea is that an animal triggers a trap causing a heavy object to fall on it. The animal is crushed and has an almost instant death. One of these traps is the Paiute deadfall. It’s a great trap for small game like mice and squirrels and can be scaled up for larger animals like raccoons.

All you need for this set is a few sticks, a bit of cordage, and something heavy to drop on the target animal. Above I show the components of a Paiute deadfall I made with blackberry cordage. Below is a diagram I sketched in a journal. I find drawing things helps me to understand and remember concepts like this.

The bait stick is held up against the log by by friction. The other end of the bait stick rests against the trigger pin (which I forgot to label). The trigger pin is attached to one end of the cordage which is wrapped around the base of the post stick. The lever stick, resting atop the post, pulls the cordage upwards because of the weight of the log. Once the bait stick is bumped the whole thing comes apart and the log falls onto the animal. This is hard to explain so maybe just watch the video below.

In a survival setting, having the knowledge of how to procure food is essential. Passive hunting like this can be very helpful. It’s typically a numbers game, however. Experts say that only one in ten sets will be successful. This means it’s important to practice setting these traps. You may find yourself having to make dozens of them to be successful. It goes without saying that you need to familiarize yourself with local laws and regulations as it pertains to trapping, and hunting in general. These types of traps should be used in an actual survival situation.

That being said, I think it’s important to learn primitive trapping techniques not only from a survival aspect but also from an ancestral knowledge aspect. If we stop practicing and sharing these types of skill, the skills go away. As does our connection with our past. Please help these skills exist.